Interactive medication dispensing machine

• US 6,611,733 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1998
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carlos De La Huerga
• Original Assignee: Carlos De La Huerga
• Inventors: De La Huerga, Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Michael E
• Application Number:
  US09/168,783
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 700/235, 700/241, 700/242
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/035 Blister-type containers blisters in general B65D75/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1437 Locking means requiring key or combination to open the container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07762 the adhering arrangement making the record carrier wearable, e.g. having the form of a ring, watch, glove or bracelet record carriers for insertion in the human body for medical purposes A61B90/00; record carriers adapted for attachment to animals A01K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

This invention relates to an interactive medication cassette with a machine readable and writable information strip that contains information corresponding to the medication in the cassette. The cassette is designed for use in a medication distribution and inventory system that includes at least one medication dispensing machine having a sensor for reading the information in the strip and updating or altering this information when medication is added to or removed from the cassette. The cassette is filled by a dispensing machine that counts the quantity of medication added to the cassette. The information strip is altered by the dispenser to include medication and quantity information corresponding to the dispensed medication. The cassette is also for use with a dispensing machine that dispenses the medication from the cassette, and updates the information strip with additional information including the quantity of medication dispensed from the cassette.

Claims

1. An interactive medication dispensing machine for dispensing medication and transmitting information comprising:

a dispensing machine having an associated computer processor and a sensing mechanism for obtaining and transmitting information to and from said associated computer processor;

a cassette having a housing adapted to hold an actual quantity of the medication, said housing being adapted to allow removal of the medication, and said housing being removably secured to said dispensing machine;

a machine readable and writable information strip affixed to said cassette, said information strip containing actual quantity information corresponding to said quantity of the medication held by said cassette, and said information strip being in communication with said sensing mechanism to transmit said actual quantity information to said associated computer processor; and

,

wherein said dispensing machine is adapted to alter said actual quantity of the medication in said cassette when it dispenses an amount of the doses of medication, and said computer processor alters said information strip to indicate that said actual quantity of the medication in said cassette has been altered.

2. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 1, and wherein said dispensing machine is adapted to dispense the medication from said cassette, and said computer processor alters said information strip to indicate that said actual quantity of the medication in said cassette has been decreased.

3. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 1, and wherein said dispensing machine is adapted to dispense the medication to said cassette, and said computer processor alters said information strip to indicate that said actual quantity of the medication in said cassette has been increased.

4. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 2, and wherein the medication held by said cassette is a particular type of medication, and said information strip contains medication type information, and wherein said dispensing machine includes an associated memory device containing prescription information, said prescription information including patient information identifying a specific patient and corresponding prescribed medication type information for that specific patient, and said computer processor is adapted to compare said medication type information of said information strip to said prescribed medication type information prior to dispensing medication to verify that said medication type information matches said prescribed medication type information.

5. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 4, and wherein said computer processor alters said information strip to include said patient information identifying a patient for whom the medication was dispensed.

6. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 5, and wherein said computer processor alters said information strip to include physician information identifying a physician that prescribed the medication.

7. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 1, and wherein said dispensing machine includes a data entry mechanism in communication with said associated computer processor, and wherein a healthcare worker dispensing medication from said dispensing machine enters healthcare worker information identifying that healthcare worker via said data entry mechanism, and wherein said computer processor alters said information strip to include said healthcare worker information.

8. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 3, and wherein the medication is dispensed to said cassette from a bulk medication container, said bulk medication container having a machine readable label containing bulk medication information, and said computer processor alters said information strip of said cassette to include said bulk medication information.

9. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 8, and wherein said bulk medication information includes medication type information.

10. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 9, and wherein said bulk medication information includes pharmaceutical manufacturer information.

11. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 8, and wherein a singulator is used to separate one dose of the medication from other doses of the medication when dispensing the medication from said bulk container.

12. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 8, and wherein said bulk medication container contains an actual bulk quantity of the medication, said machine readable label includes a machine readable and writable information strip, and said medication information in said information strip of said bulk container includes actual bulk quantity information corresponding to said actual bulk quantity of the medication, and wherein said computer processor alters said information strip to indicate that said actual bulk quantity of the medication has been reduced when the medication is dispensed from said bulk medication container.

13. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 1, and wherein said dispensing machine has a plurality of medication cassettes, each of said cassettes having its own separate information strip, and each of said cassettes holding a quantity of a particular type of the medication, each of said separate information strips having separate actual quantity information and medication type information corresponding to the medication in its said cassette, said sensing mechanism transmitting said separate actual quantity information and medication type information to said computer processor, said computer processor using said separate actual quantity information and medication type information to develop inventory information, said inventory information including total actual quantity information for each particular type of medication in said dispensing machine.

14. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 13, and wherein there are a plurality of said dispensing machines, each of said dispensing machines transmitting its inventory information to a data base for compiling total inventory information said total inventory information including grand total actual quantity information for each particular type of the medication in said plurality of dispensing machines.

15. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 1, and wherein said cassette has an interior adapted to hold said actual quantity of the medication in the cassette, and said cassette has a locking mechanism for preventing access to said medication in said cassette.

16. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 15, and wherein said dispensing machine has a compartment for receiving said cassette and a door for locking said cassette in said compartment.

17. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 1, and wherein said cassette has an interior and partitions dividing said interior into a plurality of individual cells, each of said individual cells being adapted to hold one dose of the medication, said cassette being adapted to allow separate removal of said doses of medication from said cassette.

18. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 17, and wherein said housing has an interior compartment, and said partitions and individual cells are formed by a rotating wheel, said rotating wheel being located in said interior compartment, said rotating wheel allowing said opening to separately align with each of said cells, and said opening of said housing being sized to allow removal of said one dose of the medication from its said individual cell.

19. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 17, and wherein said partitions and individual cells are formed by a blister pack.

20. The interactive medication dispensing machine of claim 1, and wherein said dispensing machine is automated and said computer processor controls said dispensing of the medication from said dispensing machine.

21. A process for distributing medication and related information comprising the steps of:

providing a dispensing machine having an associated computer processor and a sensing mechanism for obtaining and transmitting information to and from said computer processor, said computer processor controlling said dispensing of medication by said dispensing machine;

providing a medication cassette containing an actual quantity of the medication, said cassette having a machine readable and writable information strip containing actual quantity information corresponding to said actual quantity of the medication in said cassette;

joining said cassette with said dispensing machine and aligning said information strip with said sensing mechanism to communicate information to and from said computer processor;

dispensing a specified quantity of the medication from said dispensing machine to alter said actual quantity of the medication in said cassette; and

,

altering said actual quantity information in said information strip to indicate that said actual quantity of the medication has been altered by said specified quantity of medication.

22. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 21, and wherein said specified quantity of the medication is dispensed from said cassette, and said computer processor alters said information strip to indicate that said actual quantity of the medication in said cassette has been decreased.

23. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 21, and wherein said specified quantity of the medication is dispensed to said cassette, and said computer processor alters said information strip to indicate that said actual quantity of the medication in said cassette has been increased.

24. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 22, and wherein the medication held by said cassette is a particular type of medication, said information strip containing medication type information corresponding to said particular type of medication, and said dispensing machine including an associated memory device containing prescription information, said prescription information including patient information and prescribed medication type information corresponding to said patient information, said dispensing machine further including a data entry device for communicating information to said computer processor, and prior to said dispensing, further comprising the steps of:

selecting said patient information via said data entry device;

obtaining said corresponding prescribed medication type information for said selected patient information; and

,

verifying that said prescribed medication type information matches said particular medication type information.

25. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 24, and further comprising the step of altering said information strip to include said selected patient information.

26. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 24, and wherein said prescription information includes prescribing physician information, and further comprising the step of altering said information strip to include said prescribing physician information.

27. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 24, and prior to said dispensing, further comprising the steps of:

entering healthcare worker information that identifies a healthcare worker; and

altering said information strip to include said healthcare worker information.

28. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 22, and wherein said dispensing machine includes a plurality of cassettes, each of said cassettes holding an actual quantity of a particular type of medication, and each of said cassettes having a separate information strip containing actual quantity information and particular medication type information corresponding to said actual quantity of said particular type of medication in its said cassette, and further comprising the steps of:

communicating said actual quantity information and particular medication type information to said computer processor; and

,

using said actual quantity information and particular medication type information to compile inventory information, said inventory information including total quantity information corresponding to a total amount of medication for each type of medication in said dispensing machine.

29. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 22, and further comprising the steps of:

removing said cassette from said dispensing machine;

transporting said cassette to a second dispensing machine having a second associated computer processor and a second sensing mechanism for obtaining and transmitting information to and from said second computer processor, said second computer processor controlling said dispensing of medication from said second dispensing machine;

joining said cassette with said second dispensing machine, and aligning said information strip with said second sensing mechanism to communicate information to and from said second computer processor;

dispensing a second specified quantity of medication from said second dispensing machine to said cassette;

altering said quantity information to indicate that said quantity of the medication in said cassette has been increased by said second specified quantity of medication;

transporting said cassette back to said dispensing machine; and

,

rejoining said cassette with said dispensing machine, and realigning said information strip with said sensing mechanism to communicate information to and from said computer processor.

30. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 22, and further comprising the steps of:

removing said cassette from said dispensing machine;

transporting said cassette to a second dispensing machine having a second associated computer processor and a second sensing mechanism for obtaining and transmitting information to and from said second memory device, said second computer processor controlling said dispensing of medication from said second dispensing machine;

joining said cassette with said second dispensing machine, and aligning said information strip with said second sensing mechanism to communicate information to and from said second computer processor;

dispensing a second specified quantity of the medication from said cassette; and

altering said actual quantity information in said information strip to indicate that said actual quantity of the medication has been decreased by said second specified quantity of medication.

31. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 23, and further comprising the steps of:

removing said cassette from said dispensing machine;

transporting said cassette to a second dispensing machine having a second associated computer processor and a second associated memory device for maintaining medication information, and a second sensing mechanism for obtaining and transmitting information to and from said second memory device, said second computer processor being adapted to control said dispensing of medication from said second dispensing machine;

joining said cassette with said second dispensing machine, and aligning said information strip with said second sensing mechanism to communicate information to and from said second computer processor;

dispensing a second specified quantity of medication from said cassette;

altering said actual quantity information in said information strip to indicate that said actual quantity of medication has been decreased by said second specified quantity of medication.

32. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 21, and further comprising the steps of providing an additional dispensing machine, removing said cassette from said dispensing machine, transporting said cassette to and placing said cassette in said additional dispensing machine, and aligning said information strip into communication with said computer processor of said additional dispensing machine.

33. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 21, and further comprising the step of:

transferring said quantity information to said computer processor in said dispensing machine;

comparing said quantity information to specified refill level information; and

,

indicating when said actual quantity information reaches said specified refill level information.

34. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 21, and wherein said information strip contains manufacturer lot information, and further comprising the steps of:

transmitting said manufacturer lot information to said computer processor;

transmitting manufacturer recall information to said computer processor;

comparing said manufacturer lot information with manufacturer recall information; and

,

indicating when a match between manufacturer lot information and manufacturer recall information occurs.

35. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 21, and wherein said computer processor has a clock for determining a time when a said specified quantity of medication is dispensed from said cassette, and further comprising the step of altering said information strip to indicate said time when said specified quantity of medication was dispensed.

36. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 21, and further comprising the steps of:

providing a bulk container holding a large quantity of medication and having a machine readable memory strip containing bulk container information pertaining to said medication in said bulk container;

communicating said bulk container information to said information strip of said cassette; and

,

altering said information strip to include said bulk container information.

37. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 22, and further comprising the steps of:

providing a portable container having a memory device;

directing said dispensed specified quantity of the medication to said portable container; and

,

transferring said information in said information strip of said cassette to said memory device of said portable container.

38. The process for distributing medication and related information of claim 30, and further comprising the steps of:

locking said cassettes closed during transport to prevent unauthorized access to said medication;

placing said cassette in said second dispensing machine and locking said second dispensing machine closed; and

,

unlocking said cassette when in said locked second dispensing machine.